The Doctrine of man in relation to God (4)

The Image of God in man :The Moral Character in man Plus.....

Introduction.

We looked at our Kinship with our Heavenly Father because of Creation. But this Sonship and relationship was severed because of sin and rebellion firstly on the part of our Forefather, Adam. Man is BORN SINFUL, and shapen in Iniquity. It is not the fault of the Environment but the innate sin nature. The Only Solution to this sin problem is the New Birth or REGENERATION by which man is transformed by the putting off of the ‘Old Man’ descended from Adam and putting on the “NEW MAN” created in Christ Jesus unto good works. Real Transformation takes place at the foot of the Cross of Jesus Christ.

2. The Moral Character in Man

Right is always Right and Wrong is always Wrong and man knows it right well. “Recognition of right and wrong belongs to man alone. An animal may be taught that it is not to do certain things. I don’t allow our cat to sleep on our bed even though he would love to. He knows my wishes and has not yet worked out right and wrong. he loves to please his master.

Animals have no religious or moral nature. This is the one great difference between man and animals.

No wrong choices? Really?I can personally attest to making hundreds (thousands?) of wrong choices in my life. Trust me, they weren’t just different, they were wrong.To say there are no wrong choices is to say that there is no such thing as right and wrong. No absolutes, only personal preferences.

But the Bible says otherwise. There is a standard of right and wrong, and God has communicated this standard in His Word. by Ava Pennington

Read Romans 1:1-32

3. The Capacity to Reason.

The animal is a mere creature of nature while man is above nature. Man is capable of self-reflection and reasoning concerning the causes and consequences of things. Think of the marvellous inventions that have sprung up from the mind of man. A Watch, a Mobile Phone which even has the internet and Global Positioning Navigation all included, the microwave oven, television etc.

Look at the whole fabric of Civilisation which is built up by the several arts and sciences. Consider all the Books and poetry that have been written and even is now being replaced by kindle etc. online books. One can now study at a University without ever visiting the classroom.

Now turn and adore the Creator for the wonderful gift of reason!. My granddaughter has Epilepsy. She has a lack of neurons in the area of the brain where calculations and reasoning takes place. This makes it impossible for her to debate or to reason through consequences. Be thankful that you have all your faculties.!!!!!!!!!

4. The Capacity for IMMORTALITY.

Man would never have died if He had not disobeyed God and been excluded from the the Garden of Eden and the Tree of life. He had all his needs met graciously and gratuitously by our Heaven Father. Christ came to restore us and give us the bread of Life, Everlasting life. so that we have no need to die but we can live FOREVER.

5. Dominion over the Earth.

Man was designed to be God’s Image in respect to lordship over the earth.

Gen 1:22  And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters of the seas and let the fowl multiply in the earth.

Gen 1:23  And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

Gen 1:24  And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after its kind, cattle, and creepers, and its beasts of the earth after its kind; and it was so.

Gen 1:25  And God made the beasts of the earth after its kind, and cattle after their kind, and all creepers upon the earth after their kind. And God saw that it was good.

Gen 1:26  And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over all the creepers creeping on the earth.

Gen 1:27  And God created man in His image; in the image of God He created him. He created them male and female.

Gen 1:28  And God blessed them. And God said to them, Be fruitful, and multiply and fill the earth, and subdue it. And have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the heavens, and all animals that move upon the earth.

Gen 1:29  And God said, Behold! I have given you every herb seeding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree in which is the fruit of a tree seeding seed; to you it shall be for food.

Cf Psalms 8:5-6

God planned that man should be in control of all the living creatures on this planet.

The fall of man into sin caused man to lose the image of God. This does not mean that all man’s mental and reasoning powers were lost; but that man’s original integrity and moral innocence were forfeited by disobedience. hence man is utterly incapable of saving himself from the consequences of his own choices and without an act of Grace from God he cannot restore the Divine Image.  Notes from Knowing the Doctrines of the Bible by Myer Pearlman pps 117--118